The Development of Individual Identity and Consciousness among Movements of the Left and Right

Abstract

Abstract This chapter examines the effects of internal and external factors on the development of individual political consciousness and identity, as well as on the mobilization and course of social movements. I analyze the effects of these factors on movements of the Left and Right by considering activists involved in two predominant groups of the 1960s: Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) on the Left and Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) on the Right. This chapter is part of a larger project that compares women and men who were active in SDS and YAF, tracing their paths from early childhood, through the radicalizing events of the 1960s, up to their adult lives (Klatch 1999). Other studies focus on the collective identity of social movements; this study focuses on the formation and development of individual consciousness and political identity. Also, studies within social movements often focus on a single case; this study compares movements of the Left and Right, allowing for analysis of the differences as well as the parallels and overlaps in the development of consciousness and identity of activists in opposing movements. In examining external factors, I use Karl Mannheim’s theory of generations to understand how historical location and differences in social background generated two opposing wings of the 1960s generation, with divergent political consciousness and identity. I analyze two internal factors: the importance of peers in solidifying commitment to a movement and in helping articulate and develop a broader analysis or framing of issues, and the effect of an organization’s size on activists’ experiences and views and the development of a movement.